College Baseball Resource Thread 2007

[colbyjack]

Thanks for the report fewgoodcards. The Simmons vs. Hume matchup was definitely on my radar this evening.

 

A few more notable performances from this evening:

 

David Price

5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 10 K, 2 BB vs. Pitt.

A good start for Price based on the K's, not so great based on the runs.

 

Casey Weathers

Season: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 13 K, 0 BB

A bonus addition this week, Vanderbilt's closer has been untouchable so far this year.

 

Nick Schmidt

6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 K, 2 BB vs. Illinois State

I was hoping Schmidt would have been a little more light's out in this game, despite not giving up a run.

 

Sean Doolittle

6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 8 K, 0 BB

Doolittle now 3-0 with a 0.53 ERA, 19:2 K:BB ratio in 17 IP.

 

Bryan Augenstein

7 IP, 7 H, 6 R (4 ER), 11 K, 2 BB

Bad defense led to to many unearned runs, and made Augenstein work harder than he should have.

 

Jake Arrieta

3 IP, 5 H, 4 R (3 ER), 3 K, 1 BB vs. Coastal Carolina

No excuses for Arrieta, who like Price has been good so far, but not spectacular.

 

Ross Detwiler

7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 13 K, 1 BB vs. Dallas Baptist (Thursday)

Amazing debut for Detwiler, whose name seems to get frequently missed when it comes to discussing top draft possibilities.

 

Wes Roemer

7 IP, 12 H, 4 R (3 ER), 12 K, 0 BB vs. UCLA

CSF is currently losing this game, but Roemer has been pulled, and despite giving up a lot of hits to a good Bruins ballclub, he now has a 36 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio over 29 innings of work. Wow. There are no cupcakes on Fullerton's schedule.

 

Aaron Poreda

8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 7 K

I add Poreda's name since he's the pitcher that faces James Simmons a week ago. Poreda, a LHP, was reportedly throwing his heater in the 93-94 range a week ago, and could be rising quickly.

 

Name to watch:

 

Will Kline

I hope to catch Kline face off vs. Nick Schmidt next Friday at the DQ Classic up at the Metrodome. Kline doesn't have spectacular stuff, but he does command the strike zone extremely well as a red-shirt junior. So far this year he is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA over 3 starts. In 20 IP he has allowed 12 hits and 7 seven walks while striking out 29. Remember Steven Wright from a year ago? Kline is this year's version.

 

Onto Saturday...

 

Andrew Brackman

7.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 7 K, 1 BB vs. Coastal Carolina

Another nice start for Brackman, who is showing very good command despite being considered relatively raw as a pitcher. One thing that does bug me is the fact that he has been allowed to rack up lofty pitch totals in his appearances, reaching 113 in Saturday's contest.

 

Andrew Brackman

http://www.nmnathletics.com.edgesuite.net/pics/400/RQ/RQARWOBIRLFUSPZ.20070221021759.jpg

 

Sunday...

 

Joe Savery

5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 2 BB vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi

A good start, but similar to both Price and Arrieta, I think everyone is waiting for that one can't miss, complete domination game. Savery is still building up arm strength, as I believe this is the first game he pitched past the 4th inning, so that game may be coming soon.

[GagneCY03]

CJ, you have any news on Matt LaPorta? I havent see him record any stats over the past few games. Is he hurt?

[colbyjack]

He must have done something to himself during Friday's game, as he appeared in Friday's box score, but there are notes of injury in the postgame stories or notes. I'm sure BA or PGCC will have some note of what happened within the next day or two.

[GagneCY03]

Alright. I really hope he didnt hurt himself too seriously, considering how well he started this season.

[colbyjack]

Here's BA's top 25 tracker:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t...63431.html

 

Plus, a picture of David Newmann (who took a no-no into the 7th inning yesterday), who was drafted by the Brewers last year but didn't sign. Now healthy, his fastball reportedly is back in the 89-93 range with a very sharp curveball. He could sneak up into the first round, and along with Jake Arrieta, the Brewers have two notable unsigned draftees from past years.

 

Newmann on the year: 1-0, 2.65 ERA, 17 IP, 9 H, 20 K, 7 BB, .158 BAA

Arrieta on the year: 2-1, 2.57 ERA, 14 IP, 13 H, 16 K, 5 BB, .232 BAA

 

David Newmann

http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/dnewmann07428309sof.jpg

[colbyjack]

It doesn't look good for LaPorta, who injured his ankle and is expected to be out for quite some time despite being listed as day-to-day.

 

www.alligator.org/pt2/070225base.php

[fewgoodcards]

that's too bad, the guy can't catch a break.

[colbyjack]

I just want to point out that Lewis-Clark State has finally added an updated stats page, and Beau Mills is off to a very good start:

 

.500/.578/.972 in 36 AB, 5 2B, 4 HR, 3:2 BB:K ratio (2 HBP)

 

However, it's easy to argue that he should be. Lewis-Clark State is a powerhouse, although a powerhouse in the NAIA. Mills is a favorite prospect of mine, who reminds me of Jim Thome, and as a legitimate first-round pick, he really should be putting up obscene numbers given the level he's playing at, although after another week or two he may not be getting many pitches to hit.

[colbyjack]

BA has a nice story up for subscribers on Vanderbilt closer Casey Weathers.

 

www.baseballamerica.com/o...63456.html

 

You gotta love that high leg kick:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/cweathers07428309sof.jpg

 

Allan Simpson of PGCC has a nice story up today covering the South Carolina-Clemson rivalry (they play a 2-game set this weekend), along with some other interesting college/draft notes:

 

PGCC - South Carolina vs. Clemson

[colbyjack]

This post is for Shawn from the off-topic forum, whose Northwoods blog piqued my interest.

 

This site is a great NWL fansite that I'm sure you're well aware of:

 

www.nwlfan.com/

 

Here is a story that I wrote for PG last summer focusing on a day (with some notes) covering the NWL League:

 

www.perfectgame.org/crack...%5Fleague/

 

One name that really caught my eye that day was Express RHP Thomas Eager, who did a nice job shutting down the Honkers that day. I felt at the time that Eager was an overlooked commodity in the league, and so far so good for Cal Poly this season pitching against some tough teams such as Santa Clara, San Diego State, San Diego and Nevada:

 

3-1, 2.04 ERA, 5 games (all starts), 1 CG, 35.1 IP, 21 H, 37 K, 11 BB, .171 BAA

 

Eager's biggest problem in the NWL last summer was walking batters, an area in which he has obviously improved this season. Just like last summer, he continues to limit hits while missing bats, good signs for any pitcher with pro intent. I have a few inquiries into some West Coast contacts on Eager and hope to provide more on this possible diamond in the rough soon, but his low-90s heater and big breaking curveball caught my eye last summer.

 

I mentioned earlier that Jordan Zimmerman of UW-SP is expected to miss some time with a broken jaw after getting hit with a line drive. I was hoping to see Zimmerman pitch later this month vs. UW-Platteville, and hopefully Zimmerman's jaw will be fine by then.

[Shawnwi76]

Eager is staying on the west coast for an internship this summer. Leader Telegram article I think a lot of the walks were the result of the blister problems. A couple of times he got wild and the trainer would go out at look at his hand and they would leave him in there for a few more batters. The Express had a lot of injuries last year and didnt yank pitchers very quickly.

[colbyjack]

Yeah, Eager had the blister problems in the game I saw him in as well as noted in my account.

 

In not so happy news, a bus carrying the Bluffton University baseball team crashed in Georgia early this morning, killing six of the players and critically injuring several others:

 

sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/n...id=2785357

 

I'm actually somewhat surprised that this doesn't happen more often. Best wishes and my deepest thoughts and prayers to the players as well as their family and friends.

[colbyjack]

BA's weekend preview:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t...63461.html

 

David Price

9 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 13 K, 1 BB vs. Xavier

This is the start I think most people have been looking for in Price, who has been very good this season, but expectations are high. He is now 3-0 on the year with a 41 to 6 K to BB ratio over 26.2 innings of work. Teammate Pedro Alvarez (pictured below) hit his sixth HR of the season, and now is hitting .462/.541/.981 on the young season.

 

http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/vand/graphics/auto/highfivebase.jpg

 

Sean Doolittle

6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 9 K, 3 BB vs. Delaware

Doolittle and the Cavaliers are off to a very nice start so far this season, although they haven't exactly played any national powerhouses yet. Doolittle improves to 4-0 on the season as Virginia is 15-1.

 

Jake Arrieta

6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R (0 ER), 7 K, 1 BB vs. Vermont

Another nice start for Arrieta, who is now 3-1 on the season, and TCU did a nice job by pulling him in a blowout once he reached his 100th pitch.

 

Wes Roemer

6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 10 K, 2 BB vs. Rice

Roemer got hit arounda little against a tough Rice ballclub, but he still managed to strike out 10. Those two walks stand out for the usually sharp Roemer. He did throw 118 pitches, which is at least his third game this year tossing around 115 pitches. In a game in which he only went six innings, it seems as though he was laboring more than usual.

 

Ross Detwiler

7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 7 K, 3 BB vs. Middle Tennessee

Another sharp outing for Detwiler, his second appearance of the season. The picture below gives you a very good idea just how tall, lanky and projectable this y

 

http://www.nmnathletics.com.edgesuite.net/pics30/400/MJ/MJUEWZMXRTYGSUL.20061128192549.jpg

 

James Simmons

5 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 4 K, 2 BB vs. Oklahoma

Simmons gets knocked around quite a bit in this one, after being nearly perfect all season leading up to Friday's game.

 

Aaron Poreda

8 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 K, 0 BB

Poreda allowed only six baserunners over eight innings of work, all via base hits, so it's interesting that four runs scored. Checking the game log, all of the hits came back-to-back, including a two-run home run, leading to those four runs.

 

Saturday...

 

Andrew Brackman

5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 6 K, 5 BB vs. East Carolina

The first bad start of the year for Brackman who has been extremely impressive up until today's game.

 

David Newmann

5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 6 K, 2 BB vs. Oregon State

Beating OSU is no easy task as Newmann continues to succeed this year.

 

Bryan Augenstein

9 IP, 7 H, 1 R (0 ER), 11 K, 0 BB vs. George Washington

Not a huge opponent, but still a great game for Augenstein. He was allowed to toss 123 pitches in this game though.

 

Thanks for the brief recap of the TCU game (just below) afewgoodcards. I didn't check the game log, as I'm still happy to hear they pulled Arrieta after 100 pitches. Two pitchers that were allowed to throw a lot of pitches early in the spring and throughout the college baseball season in recent years includes Brad Lincoln and Phillip Humber. While you can't say that their respective arm injuries had anything to do with their overuse, you can't dismiss the notion either.

 

Sunday...

 

Nick Schmidt

9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 11 K, 2 BB vs. Minnesota

I wish I could have made this game, as Schmidt finally seemed to have a game that seemed commonplace at the beginning of last season, and the Gophers are far from a team to sneeze at.

 

Joe Savery

3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 K, 4 BB vs. Cal State Fullerton

I felt this was a pretty big game for Savery, playing a very tough opponent, and unfortunately he wasn't up for the challenge. Fullerton RHP Sean Urena was, tossing a one-hit complete game shutout for the Titans.

[fewgoodcards]

i was watching the TCU game, and they actually took a chance when they pulled arrieta. at the time he was pulled it was only a 1 run lead with the tying run on 3rd and one out. sam demel came in and struck out the next 2 batters then TCU scored all of their runs in the bottom of the inning.

 

arrieta looked pretty good to me. he has a smooth and easy delivery and has good control of both 2 and 4 seam fastballs, a good slider, and a workable changeup. the only velocity reading i heard the announcers say was 93 on a fastball. he looks like a workhorse and should be a good innings eating #3 starter.

[colbyjack]

I forgot to mention above that Florida 1B Matt LaPorta returned to the Gators' lineup on Friday, serving as the DH, and ended the weekend playing first. So much for his ankle injury possibly holding him out for a few weeks.

 

With LaPorta's return, I thought it may be time to look at some of the cumulative numbers of some of the more interesting draft-eligible hitters, starting with LaPorta:

 

Matt LaPorta

.429/.600/.786, 42 AB, 3 2B, 4 HR, 9:1 BB:K ratio

He still only 1 K, plus he has been hit 9 times already...teams don't want to pitch to him.

 

Matt Wieters

.350/.444/.583, 60 AB, 5 2B, 3 HR, 11:11 BB:K ratio

Wieters raised his batting average by about 100 points over the past week. Not a terribly hard thing to do with only 60 ABs, but still good to see.

 

Beau Mills

.455/.519/.909, 44 AB, 5 2B, 5 HR, 4:3 BB:K ratio

Mills seems to be getting plenty of pitches to hit in the NAIAA for national powerhouse Lewis-Clark State.

 

Sean Doolittle

.327/.485/.551, 49 AB, 5 2B, 2 HR, 16:5 BB:K

4-0 on the mound, and one of the most patient hitters in all of college baseball.

 

Josh Donaldson

.393/.521/.857, 56 AB, 8 2B, 6 HR, 14:5 BB:K

Auburn catcher is having a huge season so far for the surging Tigers.

 

Mike Bianucci

.415/.536/.792, 53 AB, 3 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 13:4 BB:K

Toolsy OF Bianucci along with Donaldson give the Tigers one of the better 1-2 punches in all of college baseball.

 

Mitch Canham

.435/.585/.587, 46 AB, 4 2B, 1 HR, 14:4 BB:K

Canham's defense reportedly has improved big-time this year, as his bat has always been good.

 

Matt Mangini

.426/.508/.741, 54 AB, 6 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 9:12 BB:K

Another good start for NC State transfer, 3B Matt Mangini.

 

Corey Brown

.365/.507/.788, 52 AB, 4 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR< 12:14 BB:K

As much as I want to like this powerful Oklahoma State duo, they strike out a lot more than you would like to see.

 

Kellen Kulbacki

.438/.513/.813, 32 AB, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6:5 BB:K

Kulbacki started extremely hot, and will need to stay big this season to keep his doubters away.

 

Todd Frazier

.375/.479/.775, 40 AB, 1 2B, 5 HR, 7:9 BB:K

A true 3TO candidate from the college level with awesome power potential and awesome strikeout potential.

 

Joe Savery will be added when he gets his average over .300. He's hitting .290 right now, and his BA is on the rise.

[colbyjack]

I'll try to provide a few updates in the next couple of days on the more interesting draft-eligible college prospects. While my "life" has been taking a lot of my time lately, I was able to see Ross Detwiler pitch on Friday at the Metrodome. My report on Detwiler should be posted on PG Crosschecker at some point this week. In the meantime, enjoy this photo of him mid-delivery.

 

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/detwiler2-2.jpg

[colbyjack]

Here are the stats from the weekend:

 

David Price

9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 16 K, 1 BB vs. UIC

I believe this is Price's 2nd consecutive CG, who now has a 57:7 K:BB ratio in 35.2 innings this season.

 

Sean Doolittle

6.1 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 K, 0 BB vs. Wake Forest

Not a great start to ACC play for Doolittle, who has excelled in conference play the past couple of years.

 

Jake Arrieta

4.2 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 8 K, 5 BB vs. Rice

A rough start for Arrieta, who tossed 118 pitches in this game a week after I praised TCU for only letting him throw 100.

 

Joe Savery

4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 3 BB vs. TX A&M Corpus Christi

Savery still appears to be on a very strict pitch count.

 

Ross Detwiler

7.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 ER), 6 K, 3 BB vs. Minnesota

I'll let you know when my first-hand account of Detwiler is up on PGCC.

 

Andrew Brackman

9 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 ER), 9 K, 1 BB vs. Maryland

I'm guessing there was some shaky defense behind Brackman, as 6 hits allowed and only one walk usually doesn't lead to 6 runs in a CG effort.

 

Wes Roemer

6 IP, 10 H, 6 R (4 ER), 5 K, 2 BB vs. ECU

The Pirates swept Fullerton this weekend. Roemer only tossed 90 pitches in this game, and accounts from BA had him throwing in the 86-89 range.

 

Bryan Augenstein

7.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 5 K, 2 BB vs. Texas A&M

Similar to Brackman, 7 hits and 2 walks usually don't lead to 6 runs in over 7 innings of work. Augenstein has been worked hard this year, and tossed 110 pitches in this game.

 

David Newmann

9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 9 K, 1 BB vs. Florida

Newmann's arm seems to be completely back, as he was allowed to throw 121 pitches in this CG effort. Watch his name soar up draft charts.

 

Nick Schmidt

8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 8 K, 3 BB vs. Kansas

The 2nd consecutive solid start for Schmidt, who was starting to draw some scrutiny after a shaky start. Arkansas swept a tough Kansas team this weekend.

 

A few season total lines for the more notable hitters:

 

Beau Mills

.429/.519/.810, 63 AB, 6 2B, 6 HR, 7:5 BB:K, 6 HBP, 3 E

 

Corey Brown

.381/.524/.857, 63 AB, 5 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 16:18 BB:K, 4 HBP, 6 for 7 SBs, 2 E

 

Matt Mangini

.439/.506/.697, 66 AB, 6 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 11:13 BB:K, 6 E

 

Matt Wieters

.370/.453/.658, 73 AB, 6 2B, 5 HR, 12:13 BB:K, 1 E

 

Josh Donaldson

.408/.522/.859, 71 AB, 11 2B, 7 HR, 16:6 BB:K, 3 HBP, 4 for 5 SBs, 6 E

[GagneCY03]

Interesting to see Price's ERA is the highest on their staff. Vanderbilt's closer, Casey Weathers, has been outstanding. His season line: 0.00 ERA, 18 K's, 3 Walks in 10.2 innings.

[colbyjack]

I reported a week or two ago that Weathers previously had not allowed a single hit on the season. He has now allowed two. Slacker.

 

USC closer Paul Koss is having a huge bounceback season as a senior after disappointing as a junior. He already has 10 saves under his belt in 13 appearances.

 

UNC closer Andrew Carignan recorded a save in each of the three wins over Miami last weekend in UNC's ACC openining series.

 

UC Irvine closer Blair Erickson broke the Big West record for career saves over the weekend, and just needs three more to take over the top spot for the NCAA career saves lead, which would knock off former Brewers farmhand Jack Krawczyk (PGCC noted in yesterday's top 10 list that Dave Bush is also among the NCAA's top 10 all-time saves leaders with 38) .

 

One name that I haven't mentioned before that BA has on numerous occasions is Mercer's Cory Gearrin, who is nearly perfect in 12 relief apperances so far this year. He has only allowed one hit in 17.1 innings, although he has allowed 11 walks. 31 Ks in that span gives you a good idea of his stuff, and how well he controls it.

 

A few TV games to look forward to this weekend...

 

Friday

FCSP, 5:00 PM ? Wake Forest @ Florida State

So. Brad Kledzik is likely to face Sr. Bryan Henry in this one. Henry is having another very good year after putting up big numbers a year ago. He certainly knows how to pitch, but his upper-80s fastball makes him an iffy pro.

 

Saturday

FCSP, 3:00 PM ? Virginia @ UNC

So. Jacob Thompson likely will face Fr. Alex White, so Dodgers fans tune in. Thompson is one of the top prospects available for the '08 draft, and White is having a huge freshman year so far, among the NCAA leaders in ERA. You also get to check out some good hitters from both teams, including Reid Fronk and Josh Horton of North Carolina and David Adams and Sean Doolittle of Virginia. There are plenty of good reasons to watch this game.

 

Sunday

FCSA, Noon ? Mississippi State @ Florida

Florida once again gets a ton of TV time. Not the best of matchups, despite being a SEC conference game, as Sr. Josh Johnson faces Fr. Billy Bullock. Check out the Bulldogs catcher Ed Easley, a favorite of mine, who is hitting to the tune of .510 so far this year.

[colbyjack]

Here's my story detailing Ross Detwiler's start from last Friday at the Metrodome now up on PGCC:

 

www.pgcrosschecker.com/20...31507.aspx

 

Here's BA's weekend preview:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t...63540.html

 

And here's a picture of Arkansas LHP Nick Schmidt which was on BA's homepage earlier today:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/nschmidt07428309dh.jpg

[GagneCY03]

Blazer, is that pic an example of an upside-down takeaway?

 

David Price with another complete game, except this one went 10 innings. Is Vandy's coach trying to blow out his arm?

[colbyjack]

Results for the weekend of 3/16/07

 

David Price

10 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 14 K, 2 BB vs. Mississippi

Price out-dueled Ole Miss ace Will Kline with a 10-inning, CG effort.

 

Jake Arrieta

8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 11 K, 4 BB vs. Air Force

Arrieta threw 117 pitches in this game, and he still hasn't had that one, can't-miss dominant game.

 

Ross Detwiler

8 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 5 K, 3 BB vs. South Dakota State

Not the most imposing of opponents, but Detwiler still is very hard to hit.

 

Andrew Brackman

5 IP, 8 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 K, 2 BB vs. Virginia Tech

78 pitches for Brackman who hasn't been particularly sharp his last three outings.

 

Nick Schmidt

5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 4 BB vs. Kentucky

Schmidt is starting to string together a couple of solid starts, although he did throw 101 pitches over 5 innings.

 

David Newmann

4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K, 4 BB vs. Kansas

The first rough start for Newmann this year against a tough Kansas squad.

 

Joe Savery

7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 6 K, 1 BB vs. Cal Poly

By far Savery's best start of the season, although I believe it is the first outing in which he went longer than 5 innings.

 

Sean Doolittle

4 IP, 9 H, 5 R (4 ER), 3 K, 1 BB vs. UNC

Doolittle has been roughed up since ACC play started. BA reported that scouts are starting to prefer him as a hitter.

[colbyjack]

Take a peak at Corey Brown's week:

 

9-21, 12 R, 15 RBI, 5 HR, 7 BB, 6 K, 5 SB (0 CS), 1 HBP, 1 assist, 2 SF

 

Which creates a line that looks like this:

 

.429/.548/1.143

 

He played two marginal opponents in Western Illinois and Hartford, but 5 HRs in one week is an impressive feat. Here's his season line, the Ks still bug me:

 

.393/.530/.929, 84 AB, 5 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 23:24 BB:K, 5 HBP, 11-12 SBs, 2 Es

 

My other favorite hitter to follow this spring, Beau Mills, also continues to rake:

.425/.511/.849, 73 AB, 7 2B, 8 HR, 7 BB, 7 K, 7 HBP, 3 Es

 

Julio Borbon saw some action this weekend for Tennessee, and J.P. Arencibia is also back. Borbon has only pinch hit so far this year, while Arencibia is seeing action at both first base and behind the plate. Tennessee is having a tough year, as the Vols really need those two back healthy and producing to salvage their disappointing season so far. LHP James Adkins has been healthy, and productive, despite giving up 9 ER on Saturday.

 

Josh Donaldson has really helped himself so far this spring with a very strong start to the season at the plate. He has committed 7 errors defensively, and has thrown out only 28% of opposing baserunners, but he does have a strong throwing arm is relatively raw to catching. Here's hit line on the year:

 

.402/.509/.783, 92 AB, 11 2B, 8 HR, 19 BB, 9 K, 3 HBP, 7 for 9 SBs

[fewgoodcards]

if i am not mistaken, i think most of donaldson's errors have come when he has played 3rd base this year.

 

corey brown and josh donaldson are off to great starts, but what about the season kyle russell is putting together? he hit 2 more homers today and now has 13 for the season in only 89 at bats. he is not just hitting homers as he is hittin .393 overall. his one weak point, like corey brown, is that he is still striking out quite a bit with 23 and only 16 walks, but i think people will ignore that to get lefty power like this kid has.

[colbyjack]

Good point on Russell. I got to see his swing several times last year and a couple of times already this year, and his swing is huge. The guy makes Geoff Jenkins' swing early in his career look like Tony Gwynn's. That is going to lead to a lot of big home runs, and a lot of big Ks. It will be interesting to see if that power potential leads to him being selected early enough for a team to draft him as a draft-eligible sophomore. My guess is that it won't, as draft-eligible sophomores just aren't treated the same as the "normal" players that are draft-eligible.

 

Speaking of draft-eligible sophomores, Jared Prince is having a disappointing season so far.